Force cup



S. B. GROSS Feb. 20, 1962 FORCE CUP Filed Dec. 14, 1960 INVENTOR 657M156; 5. 6706'6 ATTORNEY 3,021,532 FQRCE CU? Stanley B. Gross, 135 S. 2nd St., Philadelphia, Pa. Filed Dec. 14, 1960, Ser. No. 75,324 2 Claims. (Cl. 4-255) My invention relates to new and useful improvements in force cups and more particularly to the type of force cup wherein a flexible guide or skirt extends beyond the body portion.

Various shapes and forms of force cups have been devised and all have been used with only more or less limited success. Some have proved inadequate in that the operating handle either worked loose or tore or broke the material comprising the top of the force cup. Others proved inadequate in that they held an insufficient supply of air and were therefore unable to produce suflicient pressure to force obstructions and the like from clogged drain pipes. Still others often turned inside out during normal usage thereby making corrections by hand a necessity. Another source of difl'iculty in many prior art devices arose from their inability to be adaptable to clear obstructions in drain pipes of various sizes and shapes.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a force cup of new and improved design.

Another object of my invention is to provide a force cup construction incorporating sturdy construction for cooperation with an operating handle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a force cup of rugged construction that will maintain normal shape after operation.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a force cup construction arranged to hold a greater supply of air.

Another object of my invention is to provide a force cup construction that will produce higher operating pressures to assure that drain line obstructions are dislodged.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a force cup construction readily adaptable to fit a variety of drain sizes and shapes.

A further object of the invention is to provide a force cup construction of design to prevent back splashing and to increase efiiciency.

A further object of the invention is to provide a force cup construction of four seal design providing increased pressure and dependability.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention will be had by referring to the following description and claims of a preferred embodiment thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a force cup-embodying my invention.

FIGURE 2 is a bottom view of the force cup.

FIGURE 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device of FIGURE 1 taken along section 1-1 in the direction of the arrows.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation of the force cup partly broken away showing skirt in position forming a double seal.

Similar elements are designated by similar reference characters throughout.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawing, I show a force cup body portion generally designated as It having an integral shank portion 11 above and terminating in an annular flange 16 below. A flexible skirt 32 is attached to and extends from bottom 18 of force cup body portion 10 and coplanar bottom surface 19 of annular flange 16 to either extended position 34 as shown in FIG. 3 or to retracted position 35 as shown in FIG. 4.

The integral shank portion 11 is centrally positioned above force cup body portion 10 and is provided with an opening 12 forming a threaded socket 13 for the engage- 3,b2i,532 Patented Feb. 20., 1962 men-t of an operating handle (not shown). The body portion 10 is generally cup-shaped as is usual in the art and is constructed of the usual rubber or similar resilient material. The threaded socket 13 is provided with extra heavy threads generally designated as 14 to receive the corresponding extra heavy engaging threads on end of operating handle (not shown). By utilization of the extra heavy threads 14, I have found it unnecessary to use a clamp as is common in many force cups as the instant construction now permits use even for the heaviest duty without the handle tearing the socket 13 or working or breaking loose.

In its preferred form of construction, the force cup comprises a substantially spherical, cup-shaped body portion 10 terminating in a wide, open mouth 15 and having annular flange 16 integral with and extending from outside face 17 of body portion 10. The bottom of force cup body portion 10 terminates in a horizontal plane with substantially flat horizontal bottom surface 18. Coextending and horizontally juxtapositioned from bottom surface 1% is the bottom surface 19 of annular flange 16 which terminates in the same horizontal plane.

As best seen in PEG. 1, I have provided a series of reinforcing ribs 2G, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 spaced equidistant about the outer face 17 of force cup body 10. The reinforcing ribs extend respectively from the shank portion 11 and terminate at points designated 26, 27, 28, 29, 3t 31 above annular flange 16. The ribs are formed integrally with force cup body 10 and can be made of the same material. By incorporating said reinforcing ribs, 2t), 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, I find I have provided a force cup that provides greater suction with less effort than is possible using prior art force cups and the reinforcing ribs further cooperate to urge the force cup body portion 10 to return to normal initial position as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 after each use or flexing. I have found that reinforcing ribs assure trouble free operation whereby undesirable corrections by hand are never required.

A flexible skirt portion generally designated as 32 of concave contour designed to conform to the shape of the entrance path to the average water closet trap is attached at its top connecting surface 33 to both bottom surface 18 of force cup body portion 10 and bottom surface 1d of annular flange 16. The flexible skirt may be flexed to either of two positions depending on the nature of the use desired. The extended position 34 shown in FIG. 3v may be used when clearing obstructions in a water closet trap and the retracted position 35 shown in FIG. 4 may be used when clearing obstructions in a sink or basin trap or in a floor drain. I prefer to construct the flexible skirt of the same material as the force cupbody portion 10 but having thinner side walls as required for efiicient operation. However, any material having satisfactory flexing qualities that can be bonded to the bottom surface of force cup 18 and bottom surface of flange 19 may be employed.

A plurality of raised water seal rings 36, 37, 3-8 are vertically spaced outwardly from outer surface 39 of flexible skirt 32 and are bonded to the skirt or are integrally formed therewith. When in the extended position 34, the water seal rings engage the surface of the entrance path to the bowl or trap (not shown) to be cleared by use of the force cup and form a tight seal thereby preventing loss of pressure, minimizing back splashing and thereby accordingly increasing efficiency. The action of the water seal rings against the water closet structure forms a first seal of my four seal force cup construction.

When in the inward or retracted position 35, the flexible skirt 32 retracts and extends within body portion 10. I have designed the skirt so that the bottom edge 40 touches or engages the inner surface 41 of body portion 10 at sealing surface 42 forming a second seal. The seating a of the skirt 32 on inner surface 41 prevents the skirt from popping out to the extended position 34 during use when not desired, thereby assuring safe and sanitary operation of the force cup without the undesirable need to manually reset the skirt during operation. The air cushion 49 thus formed between the inner surface 41 of the body portion and the inner surface 50 of the flexible skirt 32 causes extra heavy suction during operation to dislodge obstructions in remote places.

When in the inward or retracted position 35, a third sealing surface 43 comprising the upper portion 44 of outer surface 39 is formed in sealing cooperation with the upper surface of the basin, sink, floor, etc. (not shown) incorporating the obstructed device (also not shown) to be cleared by use of the force cup. In retracted position 35, the uppermost water seal ring 36 is so positioned on flexible skirt 32 that it extends downward beyond the third sealing surface 43 a distance 45 equal to its height 46 thereby forming a fourth sealing surface 4'7. As can be readily seen, when the force cup is used in the retracted position 35, the fourth seal is first formed by water seal ring 36 engaging the surface of the appliance to be cleared. When pressure is applied to the handle, third sealing surface 43 also seals to the surface of the appliance. At the same time, second sealing surface 42 operates and the three seals combine to give anti-splash, high pressure, triple seal operation.

I prefer to design the width of combined sealing surfaces 43, 47 designated herein as 48 approximately one and one-half inches, a width much greater than is provided in the conventional force cup now in use. The extra wide surface gives superior performance on hard to reach drains and the wide surface also prevents slipping and backsplash.

In order to operate the device to remove an obstruction from a trap mounted in a flat surface such as a sink, basin, floor, etc., the flexible skirt 32 should first be moved to the retracted position 35. Second sealing surface 42 immediately engages and is ready for use without further effort. The combined sealing surfaces 48 are then placed upon the basin, sink, etc. and the force cup so positioned as to be directly above the clogged drain and concentric therewith. Pressure should be applied to the operating handle in one or more rapid pumping strokes causing the sealing surfaces to operate and the force cup body portion 10 to alternately be compressed and then return to normal position thereby dislodging the obstruction as in conventional force cups. Upon release of the depressing force upon the operating handle, the inherent resiliency of the body portion 10 together with the urging force of the reinforcing ribs, tends to return said body portion to the shape thereof as illustrated in FIG. 1.

When the surface in question is not flat such as in the usual water closet bowl, the operation of the device is somewhat different. In this case, the flexible skirt 32 should be moved to outward position 34 and the skirt inserted into the trap of the water closet as far as it will conveniently pass. The water sealing rings 36, 37, 38 and the upper portion of skirt 44 will then engage and seal the water closet bowl upon operation of the handle in the conventional manner thereby dislodging the obstruction.

It will be seen that this invention provides a simple and effective apparatus for relieving almost any degree of stoppage in a drain or trap. Since certain changes in carrying out the above process, and certain modifications in the article which embody the invention may be made without departing from its scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a force cup designed toclear obstructions in both Water closet bowls and conventional drains, the combination of a cup-shaped body portion having a closed top, an outer face, an inner surface, and a large open bottom terminating in a horizontal plane; an integral shank portion centrally positioned above closed top and provided with an opening forming a threaded socket and provided with extra heavy threads; a horizontal annular flange integral with and extending outward from said outer face of body portion and having a flat bottom surface, said annular flange being horizontally juxtapositioned and coextending from said open bottom and said flat bottom surface of annular flange terminating in the same horizontal plane as the said open bottom of body portion; a generally concave flexible skirt having an outer surface, a connecting end and a sealing end, attached to said bottom of body portion and to said flat bottom surface of annular flange at said connecting end, said flexible skirt having a first extended position and a second retracted position, said sealing end making circumferential contact with said inner surface of body portion when in retracted position, Whereby a second seal is formed; a plurality of longitudinally spaced, raised sealing rings bonded to said outer surface of flexible skirt said sealing rings extending outwardly from said outer surface of flexible skirt and said sealing rings contacting said water closet bowls and conventional drains, whereby back-splash of water is discouraged; and a first seal formed by one or more of said sealing rings engaging and sealing against said water closet bowl when skirt is in the extended position.

2. In the force cup of claim 1, a second seal formed by the engagement of said sealing end of flexible skirt with the said inner surface of body portion when skirt is in retracted position and a third seal formed by one of said sealing rings and said drain when skirt is in the retracted position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,487,709 Hodges Nov. 8, 1949 2,729,121 Robinson Jan. 3, 1956 2,888,844 Bass June 2, 1959 F I: w?

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No, 3,021,532 February 20, 1962 Stanley B, Gross It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patout requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 4, lines 55 to 5'7, strike out 2,487,709 Hodges Nov. 8, 1949 2,729,121 Robinson -Jana 3, 1956 2,888,844 Bass June 2, 1959 and insert instead 1,154,055 Reeves Sept. 21, 1915 1,758,541 Simon May 13, 1930 1,804,874 Hribar -May 12, 1931 2, 203, 185 Walus -June 4, 1940 2,844,826 Cheiten -July 29, 1958 Signed and sealed this 17th day of November 1964.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W, SWIDER EDWARD J BRENNER Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 

